The Hawks had just swept a two-game series, and the Celtics’ slow start to Saturday’s game against the Pelicans has fans hoping for a comeback on edge.
The opening frame saw Boston giving up 37 points, with 18 of those coming from inside the paint. The Pelicans, displaying higher energy and physicality, also dominated with a 10-0 advantage in fast-break scoring.
However, the visiting team from Crescent City tightened up their defense after that initial surge, holding the Celtics to just 55 points in the remaining 36 minutes. Notably, they limited the Pelicans to only 11 points on a mere 17.4 percent shooting in the third quarter.
After securing a 104-92 victory, highlighted by a halftime buzzer-beater from Derrick White beyond the arc that gave the Celtics their first lead, Jrue Holiday reflected on his team’s resilience following an intense start by the Pelicans.
“I think we were just responding,” said the former UCLA standout. “They came out very strong in the first quarter. Very physical, playing great defense, and kind of getting out in transition, had us turning the ball over, so (we) just wanted to elevate our play and kind of match their energy.”
Holiday, a two-time All-Star, recognized the positive impact of the Celtics being pushed to raise their game against a Pelicans squad that is vying for playoff seeding, standing just 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for home-court advantage in the first round and half a game away from falling behind the sixth-seeded Dallas Mavericks, who are on a hot streak with a 9-1 record in their last ten games.
“I think sometimes you need to get punched in the mouth,” Holiday emphasized. “Playing these games, sometimes, it just happens, right? But a game like this, with a team like that, where early, they can get it going, hard to stop in transition, high flyers, a lot of three-point shooting; it could’ve gotten out of control, but I’m glad we got it under control.”
In the post-game analysis, Holiday’s statement “I think sometimes you need to get punched in the mouth” resonated as he discussed the Celtics’ ability to turn the tide against the Pelicans despite trailing for a significant portion of the second half.
You can read more about the Celtics’ impressive defensive play in their ten-point win over the Pelicans and Jrue Holiday’s thoughts on the team’s development following their defeat to the Hawks if you like.